tough times

Our housemates

Nothing truly horrendous is happening, fortunately.  Every time I tell someone that things aren't great right now, I feel I need to make this disclaimer.  But right now, it's tough.

We've been living at my parents for just over a week.  Charlotte has been waking up twice a night since we left for vacation almost 3 weeks ago.  Eric and I were sharing a double bed, with our two cats, and not getting any sleep between Charlotte's wakings and Benjamin's night wakings.  Patience is short!  My parents have been fairly tolerant, considering they went from a quiet home with two adults and two cats to a madhouse with 4 adults, 3 children, and 4 cats.

We were hoping that we would be here a month, but now it's looking like longer.  It is embarrassing and not particularly flattering to us or our contractor, but for some reason, our contractor thought he could do the renovation without a permit, and we thought that was ok.  The more I talk about the situation with people, the more ridiculous it seems that we thought we didn't need one.  In any case, the process will take 2-3 weeks, and in the meantime, the township has ordered we cease work.  There is no kitchen, no running water on the first floor, and dust everywhere- so that is to say, unlivable.  We're here for the duration.

Asher at the playground near my parents'

Benjamin at the playground

The boys are loving school, which is great.  But the days at home have been difficult.  Plenty of whining from them, not such great napping.  I haven't had a moment to myself, other than work, in weeks.  I'm feeling totally drained, and not sure what to do for myself, or how/when to do it.

In general, the times where I'm not posting much on the blog are the times when things are the hardest.  I often sit down to write something and never finish, or don't write at all- I don't want to dwell on the negative.  But this is part of life.  Sometimes things are not as wonderful or fun as others, and we are fortunate in so many ways: that we have the financial resources to renovate and make our home into a better place for us, that we have family nearby who we get along with and will take us in.

Turkey burger. Yummy.

Asher and his bear ready for Yom Kippur

My dad is having a great time having us here, and has all kinds of rituals and routines he includes the boys in, which they love.  They get the newspaper in the morning, they help him put on his belt (now they are asking me for belts), they help him make his mocha, and they do "trash train," which is taking out the trash.  I hope that in the future, the boys look back on this time as "that really fun time we stayed with Meema and Papa Nick!" but I'm pretty sure that we'll all be ready for us to move back into our own home when the time comes.